Perception Shift
by Tari Silmarwen
Summary: One-shot. The start of something different between Harry's parents. James/Lily


(A/N)- To celebrate reaching 500 followers on Tumblr, I opened up my askbox for writing prompts, and someone requested "james and lily fighting".

This was my gamest attempt as I had never written _Harry Potter_ before. Ended up being pretty fun. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Who me? I don't own anything. Certainly not. How silly.

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 **Perception Shift**

The sight was almost comical: Head Boy James Potter dogging the wake of the flouncing, fuming redhead before him, all his usual swagger and confidence nowhere to be seen and only aggrieved consternation on his face.

"Come _on_ , Evans!" he protested, dodging around a couple small first-years as he followed behind her. "It was an _accident_. You've got to believe me!"

"Save it, Potter," she snapped, not even turning around, her hands still wringing out trickles of milk from the goblet James had, not five minutes prior, dumped out onto her lap after an unfortunate spill down the aisle.

"I said I was sorry!"

"And _I_ said I don't want to hear it," she grumbled, turning aside to go into the girls' bathroom.

James fumed in frustration. "You can't stay mad forever."

She turned around and faced him with a sneer. "Watch me," she said.

He put his hand on the door to block her path just as she was opening it. "Look, I really am sorry and I want to make it up to you. Isn't there something I could do?" His eyes wrinkled pitifully at her. "Carry your books? Wash your laundry for three weeks? Do your Potions homework?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Like you could possibly convincingly fool Professor Slughorn that your work is mine," she huffed. But, seeing the earnestness in his face, she gave a sigh. "All right, fine. There _is_ something you can do for me?"

His whole face lit up with hope. "Yes?" he asked, almost too eagerly.

"You can leave me alone," she said.

Her words had the expected deflating effect, as his shoulders slumped and air seemed to rush out of him, but then, oddly, he straightened.

"You're right," he told her.

Lily's green eyes blinked in surprise. "I… what?" she said dumbly.

He cracked a grin, different from the one he usually wore around his friends, warm and almost genuinely charming. "I have been a big of a bugger and a nuisance and a… what was it you called me that one time in fifth year?"

"An arrogant toerag?" Lily supplied, still in a stupor over his casual acceptance of defeat.

"Yeah, that." James put his hands in his pockets and scuffed the floor with the toe of his shoe. "So no more hounding from now on, okay? No more asking for dates or trying to impress you. I won't even talk to you in class if that's what you want. Agreed?"

Lily didn't know what to say. Hogwarts without James Potter constantly after her, slicking his hair back whenever she came near, doing tricks on his broom when he thought she was watching, unceasingly trying to get her to think he was clever, or funny, or handsome, or any combination of the sort… it seemed almost an alien concept. She'd often dreamed about him finally getting the memo and leaving her in peace but now that he was actually doing it… she didn't quite know what to think.

She hesitated a moment, before gathering herself, puffing herself up with a confidence she didn't feel. "Agreed. I expect you to keep your distance from here on out, Potter. Understood?"

"Sure," he said with a shrug. He turned with a swish of his robes to go back down the passage.

She stared after him, incredulous. "That's it?!" she gawped. "That's all you have to say? 'Sure'? No protest?"

He shot her an annoyed look, pausing his steps and looking back over his shoulder. "What's your problem, now?" he demanded. "I'm leaving you alone. I _thought_ that's what you wanted."

"I…" Lily shook herself, smoothing out the front of her robes. "Yes, well, very well then. I'll see you in Herbology then."

"Bye, Evans," he said nonchalantly as he turned forward again, and walked off without another word.

Lily stared after him, rooted to the spot in bewilderment.

 _What an extraordinarily odd boy…_ she thought.


End file.
